Outdoor Products Amphibian 20L Waterproof Pack

How has the bunch held up? Basically well: there is one place on the outside where the material that holds the pocket to the package is peeling. This might prove to be a trend that lasts, but–since it is in the seam that secures the mesh pocket to the pack–it will by no means undermine the safety of their pack’s primary compartment. Beyond this, the package has shown little sign of use or misuse although it might, over time, undermine the security of the outside mesh pocket. If this proves to be an early sign of an issue with durability (rather than an isolated problem), I’ll post a followup note to this review.

Obviously, being launched into the lake and left for a spell was one of the greatest tests for the bunch, but I left it out as thunderstorms dumped over an inch of rain. External it remained, too, through the rainy night. Morning shown a sterile inside again.

Placing the Package to the Exam

The Amphibian bobbed in the lake while my boys and I snacked. The handkerchief from the water-resistant exterior pocket was soaked As soon as I retrieved the pack after about ten minutes. Certainly, these two water-resistant pockets with their hooded zippers are intended to shield their contents out of perpendicular rain, not open water submersion. But when I opened the top to the compartment and unrolled, I discovered that the contents dry. The TPU coating along with the roll-top design provide waterproofing for your Amphibian.

Robin is a teacher living in High Point, NC. A love of nature is the frequent thread of his own experiences: when he has free time, he is in character, independently or with family and friends. He loves fiddling with his gear and DIY/MYOG jobs. He writes about his experiences and endeavors on his website and YouTube station and shares his reviews as a part of the volunteer Inspection Corps in Trailspace.com. He has followed Brian’s Backpacking Blog for quite some time, and we’re thrilled to get him onboard as a contributor.

I analyzed the Amphibian carrying it as a daypack on regional excursions that were rainy, also as a daypack in mixed weather at the Pisgah National Forest. Regardless of being subjected to rain in between, and being thrown into a river, left overnight in sunlight, the main compartment of the Amphibian remained waterproof.
If you are looking for a small, watertight package to shield essentials from water or rain, the Amphibian is a sensible value (at about $55 online) that gets the job done. Be cognizant of the constraints of the exterior pockets that are . It’s not a poor little pack, and I have enjoyed using it and fielding questions relating to this from hordes of pupils with whom I attended a hill camp during my testing. I will surely reach for it.

Disclosure: Brian’s Backpacking Blog was provided with a free sample of the product with the intention of evaluation, testing, and opinions. There was no obligation. Robin’s ideas are his own.

Following a half dozen of paddling (during which time my third-grader repeatedly dumped water over his head, flooding the floor of the kayak ), I picked up the Amphibian and hauled it into the lake (notice the roll-down top, visible in the image below, which is the key to the bag’s safety ).

In layout, the Amphibian is about as straightforward as it’s: a waterproof main compartment seals with a roll-down top. Items are held by two side pockets with water-resistant zippers. A net pocket between these two attributes the zipper treatment but is intended for visibility of items that don’t require water protection.
A padded straps and back, two gear loops, and a shock cord retention strap round this pack’s small features out. The package doesn’t hold a lot — also my camera bag, a rain jacket, and a couple snacks filled the interior — but I used the Amphibian. It’s simple to use — just roll the shirt down, and the package is surely comfortable enough to grip the lots for which it was created and snap the quick-release buckles.
I carried my camera equipment in the Amphibian for my build-up John Rock at Pisgah National Forest. After a fantastic view of neighboring Looking Glass Rock along with lunch to the cover of the rock, the clouds which had surfaced over threatening rain all day opened , along with the Amphibian was once again put to the test. By this stage in my testing, though, I had been feeling very positive, and sure enough, once the pack opened in environment, the Amphibian had kept my camera equipment noise and secure: the compartment was dry.

For the lake excursion, I packed a cotton handkerchief in one of the exterior water resistant pockets and a cotton t-shirt in the TPU-coated principal compartment (my perception being that each bit of fabric would easily show water in case of a pack leak). The weather on our trip cooperated by turning rainy since I had been testing the waterproofness of the pack.

The Outdoor Products Amphibian Weather Defense backpack is a 20L watertight pack that got the #1 spot in a recent Backpacker Magazine rating of waterproof packs. I am in the process of introducing my kids also given their own penchant for inviting water to the craft, so I had been intrigued by the chance to review a watertight package.